Medroxalol, 5-[1-hydroxy-2-[4-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-2-butylamino]ethyl]salicylami de hydrochloride having the structural formula ##STR1## is known to possess significant antihypertensive activity. See. U.S. Pat. No. 3,883,560. Although several synthetic routes to medroxalol are known, each involves at least eight individual steps. Applicants have now discovered that the compound 1-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-3-(N-benzylamino)butane (2, the "N-benzyl" compound) when subjected to condensation with methyl 5-(bromoacetyl)salicylate (3, the "bromoacetyl" compound) gives methyl 5-[[4-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-N-benzyl-2-butylamino]acetyl]salicylate (4, the "N-benzyl, methyl ester" compound) which upon hydrogenolysis and ammonolysis gives medroxalol according to the following scheme: ##STR2##